


Given Everything

by Transom (ThegoodshipRickyl)



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Awkward Family Dinners, Christmas, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-17 07:17:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13071876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThegoodshipRickyl/pseuds/Transom
Summary: A very special Christmas for the Baratheon-Seaworth family. Will Stannis survive the holiday?Totally harmless fluff-fest.





	Given Everything

Stannis was halfway across the lawn when the snowball hit him, perfectly in the side of the face. 

 

He knew it was Shireen; he could hear her giggle, and when he whirled to look, he saw a flash of blond hair and a pink stocking cap disappear behind the side of the house. 

 

Stannis made a disapproving noise, hugged himself tighter and coughed into his fist. He hadn't bothered to put on a jacket, had only stepped into his slippers and put on a pair of gloves so he could come out and help Davos with the groceries. He had sent him to get eggnog, cough syrup, and an extra can of whipped cream, but knowing his husband, he probably picked up enough paranoia groceries to feed a small army. 

 

Of course, a small army was what they had, especially with Al and Dale coming home from school. Both bringing their girlfriends, which was another subject altogether, one he didn't wish to think about as he shuffled over to the van, grumbling internally about the cold. 

 

“Stannis, return to that house immediately,” Davos commanded as soon as he opened the door, looking at him sharply through his glasses. "You should be inside resting." 

 

Unfortunately for Davos, his “commanding” look was no more threatening to Stannis than a wet kitten, and he remained stubbornly at the back of the minivan, waiting for Davos to unlock the hatchback. 

 

“We must hurry,” he told him under his breath, dancing in place a little to fight the chill. “We aren't safe here.” 

 

Davos looked around casually, then peered through the windows just in time to see a small shape ducking down to hide behind the van’s bulk. 

 

“Stanny?” he called out, going back to the front of the car only to take a snowball to the chest, the small boy who delivered the blow whooping as he ran off towards the backyard. 

 

“Direct hit! Direct hit!” They heard the cheers of what sounded like Shireen and Devan and Steffon, as Little Stannis rejoined them triumphantly, and exchanged an amused look. 

 

Stannis was on the ground making snowballs before Davos could stop him, suppressing a coughing fit as he started piling them up beside the van. 

 

“We've got the van and the holly bushes making an ‘L’ shape for cover. I wish you had parked a little closer to the house, or we wouldn't have such a vulnerable gap, but I think we can stop it up with a snow wall. You get started on that, and then build another wall jutting out from the other end of the hedge, but don't complete the square, we'll need to have a quick exit to get more snowballs in.” 

 

“10-4, General Baratheon.” Davos set to work with a mock salute. “By the way, if there is ever a lull in this battle, I'd like for you to take some of that Dayquil I got you. That cough still sounds dodgy.” 

 

Stannis grunted and continued building his stockpile of snowballs. “How many bags are in there anyway?” 

 

“Several,” Davos said, sheepish. “I remembered Al’s Christmas cookies. You know, the shortbread with the sprinkles, and then I had to get Dale something too, so I got him a pumpkin roll, his favorite. Two eggnogs, one alcoholic. Some other stuff. I could've easily carried it all myself, though.” 

 

Stannis grunted. “I wasn't sure, s'why I came out to help you.” 

 

Davos had piled up enough snow to hide the both of them between the hedge and the van, and was just about to start on the other wall when they heard a war cry and saw two smaller kids erupt from behind the van where they had been hiding. The pelting was short-lived but embarrassing, and Davos had to stop Stannis from running after them. 

 

“We'll get them back, don't worry. Remain at your post.” 

 

“Yes, General.” Stannis gave him a small crooked smile, ignoring the melting snow on his neck. “I believe it was just a scout.” 

 

“I am out of my depth in this damn _land_ battle,” Davos replied with a wry grin. 

 

Stannis returned it but soon broke into another coughing fit, this one putting him against the van, leaving him leaning against the rear tire. 

 

Davos grumbled and stood up. “Yeah, you sound _shite_ ,” he muttered, lifting the minivan’s hatch and fishing out an unappetizing-looking orange bottle. It and a bag of lemon cough drops fell into Stannis' lap, while Davos returned to his snow wall. 

 

“I told you to stay in bed this morning,” he muttered as he packed the snow in tight. 

 

Stannis unwrapped the Dayquil and cracked it open. “You needed help in the kitchen.” 

 

“You're useless in the kitchen,” his husband reminded him gently. 

 

Stannis took a swig and grimaced it down. “Well, Matt and Maric are in charge of it now. ‘Course, when I came out here they were watching TV, so who knows, that whole area could be a smoking crater by now.” Weakly, he got back to work on his snowballs, this time making a pile behind Davos’ completed wall. 

 

“When I was in town I got a call from Dale. He's still pretty far out. He said Al got stuck in traffic getting out of New Haven, but it wasn't too bad. He's only a half hour away.” 

 

“Good.” Stannis sniffed. “How long's Dale been on the road?” 

 

“I don't know. He must have left Annapolis at the crack of dawn if he's that close already.” 

 

“He should've flown.” 

 

“Couldn't. Dacey's petrified of flying.” 

 

Stannis scoffed. “She offered to arm wrestle me at Thanksgiving. She's afraid of _flying_?” 

 

“Try to be welcoming to the poor girls,” Davos warned him. “You know how excited Shireen is to finally have sisters.” 

 

“They are _not_ married yet,” Stannis corrected, hackles raised. Davos just smiled at him in pity, and they continued their work in silence. Silence which made Stannis suddenly nervous. 

 

“Where _are_ those little punks?” he wondered aloud. Davos was nearly finished with his wall, and Stannis had enough snowballs to outlast a month’s siege. The only places for them to hide were between the cars and behind the hedge that separated their property from their neighbors', but that was far away, across their large front lawn. A poor place to mount an attack. It would have to come from the rear, behind the cars…. 

 

“Damnit!” Stannis hissed, getting to his knees in the snow. “We should've built the wall sticking out from the back of the van, where they attacked us earlier. They would never be dumb enough to come from the other way, with no cover. I thought it was a fluke when they came from the van, I was obsessed with taking advantage of the hedge….” 

 

“Alright, quit your whinin’. Let's build a wall over there then,” Davos interrupted, scooting over on his knees in the snow to help him. 

 

It was too late. The attack came while they were unprepared, and though they did manage to get a few snowballs off, it was a massacre, with both Stannis and Davos turning their backs to them and holding up their arms in surrender. 

 

The kids were laughing and high-fiving when Stannis and Davos felt safe enough to turn back around, but their surrender was met with another attack, this time all four kids knocking them into the snow and piling on. 

 

Davos laughed and Stannis coughed as the kids shoved snow into their hair and yelled triumphantly, Shireen even pulling her pink hat over Stannis’ head, marking her captor. 

 

“Mercy! Uncle!” Davos pleaded. Though he could have easily shaken off Steff and Stanny, Dev and Shireen were bigger, and Stannis couldn't have fought off a mosquito as he coughed pitifully into the snow. 

 

“Sorry, dad,” Shireen said, only half-sarcastic. “I didn't realize you were still on your deathbed.” 

 

Stannis responded with more coughing, as the kids clambered off of them. “It's _okay_ ,” he wheezed. 

 

“Alright, you heard him. Leave your father to cough up a lung in peace.” Davos stroked his back gently, and Stannis could feel the warmth through his leather-gloved hand. “There's got to be a medic tent around here somewhere,” he muttered as he helped Stannis to his feet. 

 

Stannis coughed some more, quickly unwrapping a lemon drop from his pocket. He watched as an SUV pulled into their neighbor's drive and saw Mrs. Frey get out as Davos was still holding him upright. She was giving them a highly disapproving look and Stannis suddenly felt self-conscious of how Davos was clinging to him right in front of one of the last major homophobes in Connecticut. 

 

He gave her a small, awkward wave as Davos let him go. “The _hat_ ,” his husband whispered out the side of his mouth, as he went to get the groceries from the back of the van. 

 

Stannis flushed and snatched it from his head, cursing the bright pink thing as Davos passed by him with the bags. “I thought it suited you,” he laughed, and Stannis drew himself up as indignantly as he could manage. He hoped Mrs. Frey was still watching as he caught up to his husband and pulled him in for a kiss to his temple. “I'll Lysol you when we get in,” he promised into Davos’ ear, before turning to see Mrs. Frey stomping to her front door, brown grocery bag in her arms and nose in the air. 

 

The house was blissfully warm, and Stannis went straight to his and Davos’ room to get some dry clothes on. Maric waved his cell phone at him as he passed by him and Matthos on the sofa in the den. 

 

“Shireen says you two got your asses kicked,” he informed him mirthfully. 

 

Stannis gritted his teeth. “It was a tactical error. Go help Stannis in the kitchen.” He didn't look back to see if they obeyed, stomping up the stairs to his room instead. 

 

He was in warm, dry sweatpants and a t-shirt when Davos came in after him. “The kitchen was still intact,” he said cheerfully. “The boys must have actually listened.” 

 

Stannis grunted acknowledgement and sat on the end of the bed, suddenly exhausted. “They're good kids,” he said wearily, yawning. “Even if they _are_ teenagers.” 

 

Davos chuckled. “We've got four more coming up.” 

 

“Don't remind me.” It would have sounded much more threatening had he not fallen into another round of hacking coughs. 

 

Davos clucked his tongue and took his head in his hands, leaning down to kiss his forehead. “Fever’s gone,” he murmured, lips against his skin. “That's good. I got more Lysol, by the way.” He sat down next to Stannis and pulled his shoes and socks off, giving them a sniff like he always did before he tossed them at the hamper. 

 

“Don't do that,” Stannis said automatically, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. “I want you to take a bath in that stuff.” 

 

“Let me do this first,” Davos said softly, pulling him in for a kiss. 

 

“Great,” Stannis muttered when they broke apart. “Now you're going to die, and leave me with these… urchins.” 

 

Davos kissed him again, deeper. “Never.” He ran a hand through Stannis' hair, smoothing it back and smiling fondly. He kissed him again, and again, and again, until his phone went off in his pocket and he had to push away. 

 

“Could be Dale," Stannis mused, a little dazed. "What time is it?” 

 

“One-thirty,” Davos replied absently as he read the text. “It _is_ Dale. Says he and Dacey had to stop for gas and they got hungry, so they stopped at a diner for lunch. And the holiday traffic is horrible. They'll be a little bit longer.” 

 

Stannis frowned. “Al should be here any minute, though. We better get down there.” He smoothed his t-shirt where Davos had rucked it up. “I should've dressed nicer. With Dacey and Obara coming over.” 

 

“You don’t have to. Besides, you're sick, remember?” 

 

“Yes, I remember. And _you_ need to wash your mouth out.” 

 

“One more.” Davos caught his lips again, and Stannis could feel his smile. He shivered a little when Davos crept a hand up to slide under his shirt. Gently, he had to push him away. 

 

“I'm serious. Go.” 

 

His husband obeyed, but not without a final peck to his forehead. “Fine. But if I was going to get sick, I already would've done. We share a _bathroom_ , for God's sake.” He walked over to said room, taking off his shirt as he went. “We need his and his sinks!” he called out, and Stannis rolled his eyes. 

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know. We're a little strapped putting all these crumb crushers through college!” 

 

He heard no response apart from gargling and spitting, so he got up to go to their closet with a sigh. “Would it be too much to wear our old uniforms?” 

 

One last spit and then Davos was back in the room, stepping out of his damp jeans and coming up behind him to wrap his arms around him. “Yes. It would be. I don't think I fit in mine anymore anyway.” 

 

Stannis grunted mild disapproval, but he couldn't say he minded when Davos’ belly fit perfectly against his back, warm and solid. When they met they had both still been fighting trim, but Davos had proved himself to be a little too good of a cook over the years. 

 

“You could start running with me in the mornings, if you want,” he offered, and just like every other time he suggested it, Davos only laughed. Stannis turned around and placed his hands on his bare chest. “I really can't kiss you anymore.” 

 

Davos squeezed his arms. “You owe me tonight,” he told him, letting him go to push past him into the closet. “You're fine in what you have on. I told the kids they didn't have to dress up. It's just us.” 

 

Stannis bristled. “I suppose I'll have to make a miraculous recovery,” he muttered. He held his tongue regarding the other part. He didn't think Dacey and Obara qualified as _us_ quite yet, no matter how many beer cans Dacey could crush on her forehead or how good Obara was at darts. 

 

He watched Davos put on jeans and a Navy sweater that complimented his… well, everything. He was trying desperately to get that “miraculous recovery” ahead of schedule when he heard a commotion downstairs. 

 

“Al,” he and Davos said at once, grinning at each other. 

 

Allard and Obara were already being swamped when Davos and Stannis made it down the stairs, through the den and into the living room. They had somehow managed to draw the four younger ones away from their winter wonderland, and Stannis tried not to worry over all the snow and mud being tracked inside. 

 

“We found all these shabby orphans looking for a free meal, Dad,” Allard said, grinning as he hugged Davos tightly. “Maybe you should let them sweep the chimney for a bowl of porridge.” 

 

Stannis pushed his way through the hoard of indignantly protesting children to hug Allard as well, and then Obara, who was resplendent in a bright red-orange pea coat and dark, dramatic eye makeup. 

 

“I can't get over the snow you guys get here,” she marveled as she let him go. “We _never_ see this in Texas.” 

 

“You're lucky,” Stannis told her gravely. “It's mostly a big mess.” 

 

Allard scoffed. “Oh, please. Stanny was telling me you guys had some fun in it earlier.” 

 

“ _They_ did,” Davos pitched in as he helped Obara with her coat. “We were gunned down like the Charge of the Light Brigade.” 

 

Allard laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Too soon, Dad, too soon." 

 

The party moved on to the kitchen. While Davos herded the younger kids to their rooms, Stannis got everyone settled with drinks and snacks and the first round of small talk about the weather and their drive. 

 

"Dinner will be a couple more hours," he said, as he opened the oven to check on the roast. "Do you like football, Obara?" 

 

"I mentioned I was from Texas, didn't I?" 

 

Stannis stood up stiffly, wiping the meat thermometer on a paper towel. "Oh, right. Uh, sorry." 

 

"She's _kidding_." Allard nudged at his arm with his elbow. "Besides, they're watching _basketball_ in there." 

 

Stannis murmured another apology and took a sip from his water glass. He was relieved when Davos arrived to see him floundering, and kissed his cheek quickly before he opened to cabinet behind him for a glass. 

 

"Has he charmed you to absolute death yet, Obara?" he teased. 

 

"Oh, he's fine," Obara said graciously, waving her hand. She leaned in closer to Davos and gave him a knowing look. "We brought _plenty_ of wine." 

 

She winked at Stannis as she did it and Stannis attempted a self-deprecating grin that may have ended up more like a grimace. She and Allard turned to go to the den and Davos fell in step with Stannis behind them, taking his arm and stroking it gently. 

 

"I think she likes you. By the way, Dacey texted me. They're bringing the dog." 

 

Briefly, Stannis wondered why Davos had Dacey's phone number while he did not, but he set that aside for the bigger issue at hand. " _No_. They _didn't_." 

 

Davos pulled him back into the kitchen. "They _are_. It's happening." 

 

Stannis began counting off on his fingers. "One. He is not allowed on the furniture. Two. He is not allowed in the kitchen _or_ dining room. Or anywhere _near_ the Christmas tree. Three, his paws must be _wiped_ on the way in - " 

 

He couldn't add any more rules as deep coughs started to rack his body again. Davos gripped him by the arms and held him upright. "Stannis, Stannis, you're spiraling. Have some wine, come on, let's get you started." 

 

Stannis allowed himself to be shepherded back to the kitchen and suitably medicated. "Is it okay to mix this with Dayquil?" he asked, turning the glass Davos gave him around and around in his hand. 

 

Davos rolled his eyes good-naturedly. He leaned against the counter and Stannis watched him watch their family through the window that looked out at the den. The kids had piled onto the sofa and the recliners, bombarding Obara and Allard with questions. They were all laughing, getting along for at least the time being, and Stannis' fingers went automatically to his wedding band, spinning it around and saying a prayer of thanks that they were allowed to have all this together. 

 

Davos' phone pinged. "It's Dacey," he reported. "They're here." 

 

Stannis set his wine glass down and made for the door. "Dale's here, everybody," he announced on his way, bracing himself for a burst of Canadian enthusiasm and a big slobbery dog. 

 

As soon as he opened the door, Dacey threw her arms up and greeted Stannis like a long-lost relative, and he did his best to reciprocate while also keeping an eye out for a certain furry beast. Dale came up the path with the animal in question, struggling to hold him back while also carrying a large suitcase. 

 

"Hey, everyone!" He grunted, pulling back on the big, eager Rottweiler on the other end of the leash. 

 

"Get the dog on the mat, please," Stannis ordered. "He's probably filthy." 

 

"Hello to you too," Dale drawled. He passed the leash to Dacey so he could hug Stannis and Davos, with Allard waiting at the head of the sibling hug line. 

 

"He's been in the car almost the whole time, Mr. Baratheon, really, he's clean. I gave him a bath before we left." Dacey reminded him of a small child begging to keep a stray, except she was six feet of imposing Nordic hockey player. 

 

"I'm sure," Stannis replied, tight-lipped. The dog bumbled up to him and nuzzled at his hand. "Hello, Bear," he mumbled. He really didn't smell too bad. 

 

"Bear!" Tiny Steffon greeted the dog more enthusiastically then he did his own brother, and he wasn't the only one. All of the younger boys crowded around him, showering him with affection while he flopped to the floor and offered his belly to rub, clearly in doggy heaven. 

 

Stannis sighed. "Alright, everyone, we're letting the heat out." Again, Davos fell into the role of shepherd, and the routine was repeated with Dale and Dacey. Except Dacey helped herself to the fridge for a beer and flopped onto the couch to immediately start loudly armchair-refereeing the basketball game. 

 

Dale grinned at both of his parents. "Sorry, guys. She's been cooped up awhile." 

 

Stannis looked out the side of his eye where the boys were playing with Bear in the living room, chasing him around the coffee table. "Clearly not the only one." 

 

Shireen wandered into the kitchen, going to Stannis' side sullenly. "Why did you guys have to bring that big dumb dog, anyway?" she asked Dale, looking up at him balefully. 

 

" _Shireen_ ," Stannis warned, stroking her hair apologetically. 

 

"What? He drools on _everything_." 

 

Stannis gritted his teeth. "Yes, I know. But it's only for a few days, pumpkin." 

 

"Yeah, Shireen, lighten up," Dale said, pointing at her with his beer bottle. 

 

Shireen rolled her eyes and flounced out of the kitchen to bury herself in a recliner, watching Obara, Allard, Matthos and Dacey watch the game. Before long she was on her phone ignoring them, and Davos was nudging at his side. 

 

"I need to start on the rest of dinner. Go ask the kids if I have any volunteers. I only need one. And then go sit yourself on that couch to _rest_ and await further orders." 

 

Stannis huffed. "I outrank you." 

 

Davos kissed his shoulder. "Not on Christmas Eve you don't." 

 

Maric was up for helping his father in the kitchen as usual, and Stannis let himself sink into the sofa with his glass of wine. 

 

When Dacey practically punched his shoulder, he almost spilled his wine all over himself in surprise. "That was completely _not_ a foul, right? I mean, right? I'm not going crazy here, am I?" 

 

Stannis held back a fit of coughing and mumbled a hasty agreement, mostly out of terror, then glanced at Davos and Maric in the kitchen. He sent a prayer to the roast for it to cook as quickly as possible so they could all sit down to a nice, quiet - 

 

Suddenly a long, wet tongue lapped at his arm as it lay on the armrest, and that time, Stannis _did_ spill his wine. His arms flew in the air and Bear barked, before scampering away at Steffon's call from the living room. 

 

"Oh, God, Mr. Baratheon, here, let me get that." He was powerless to stop Dacey as she leapt from the couch to get him a handful of paper towels from the kitchen. On her way back, Davos followed her with his eyes and Stannis could see his shoulders shaking with laughter. 

 

"I'll get it, thank you," he said curtly before she could start pawing at his chest. Luckily there had only been a couple of sips left, but his shirt was white, and it looked like he had taken a bullet. He sopped up the worst of it, and Dacey offered to throw away the used paper towels. He coughed the whole way up the stairs and staggered to his room, sitting on the bed with a clean shirt clutched in his hand. 

 

The coughing refused to subside and he tried to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down, but each one ended in a cough that he couldn't hold back. He remembered the lemon drops in his trouser pocket from earlier, and went over to the hamper to search for them. 

 

"I knew you smelled my socks while I wasn't looking." 

 

Stannis turned to see Davos leaning against the doorframe, wearing a sympathetic smile. Stannis found the bag of cough drops and unwrapped one sullenly as Davos came forward to wrap him in a hug. 

 

"Dinner's ready in twenty minutes," he murmured into his ear. He pulled back to hold him at arm's length. "Are you going to make it?" 

 

Stannis nodded meekly. "I'll go set the table?" 

 

Davos shook his head. "I'll get Matty to do it. Stay up here. Do you have your phone? I can text you when it's ready." 

 

Stannis grabbed him back. "No, I can _do_ this. Let me." 

 

Davos held his hands up. "Okay, okay. Come on." 

 

Stannis took a deep breath and followed him out. Maric met them at the top of the stairs, slightly breathless, pushing his glasses up on his nose. 

 

“Dinner is just about ready, Dad. Matt set the table.” 

 

Davos eyed him carefully. “Did you threaten him?” 

 

Maric shrugged, sheepish. “Only a little. It was his turn!” 

 

“Can't argue that,” Davos muttered. He sent Maric on his way and turned back to Stannis. “Are you ready?” 

 

Stannis gave a curt nod and straightened his shirt as if it was his old dress uniform. Only a small cough escaped as he came down the stairs and parked himself in front of the TV. 

 

"Attention, everybody. _Everybody_!" he called specifically to Steffon and Little Stannis in the living room, and they came scampering in with Bear at their heels. Stannis turned to Davos, eyes sharp and desperate. "The _dog_ ," he hissed, and Davos quickly redirected the big clumsy animal through the kitchen to the laundry room, where a baby gate had been set up. 

 

Davos returned to a grateful look from Stannis and rubbed his hands together eagerly. "Who's hungry?" 

 

The younger boys all leapt up with Dacey right behind them, followed by Dale and Allard and Obara, and finally Shireen, dragging her feet. Stannis squeezed her shoulder as she passed by, but she barely glanced up from her phone and Davos gave him a helpless shrug. 

 

The dining room was soon filled with laughter and chaos, as Stannis seated himself at his end of the table with a Kleenex over his mouth, watching as Davos carved up the roast, Allard passed out rolls to the younger kids, Dale popped open a new bottle of wine, and Bear whimpered from two rooms over, desperate to join the festivities. Little Stannis continued to refuse any meat he was offered, Dacey cracked open another beer, and Shireen asked Obara about her Stranger Things t-shirt, falling into excited conversation about the TV show. 

 

Once everyone was settled and relatively quiet – too busy eating to talk – Stannis accepted a refill of wine from Dale, sharing a look with Davos at the opposite end of the table, both of their fond smiles obscured by their wine glasses. 

 

Dale made his rounds with everyone who was old enough to partake, ending with Obara, who held up a hand. "Oh, no, I shouldn't." Her other hand was lying gently on her stomach, and Allard was looking at her fondly, and Stannis started choking on his bite of roast. 

 

Davos' eyes widened, and he leapt up to rescue Stannis, thumping him on the back with a little more force than Stannis thought was completely necessary. "Well, that is _fantastic_ news, guys! Right, Stannis?" Thump. "Isn't that just-" Thump. "Fantastic?" 

 

Stannis managed to wheeze an affirmative, and Allard let out a relieved sigh. Davos cautiously returned to his chair, keen eyes on Stannis. 

 

"We just found out," Allard told them. "It wasn't an accident, I promise." 

 

Davos and Obara both chuckled and Stannis attempted an uneasy half-grin. He picked up his knife and fork again and started cutting a much, much smaller piece of meat. "That is quite... exciting. Will the wedding be up here or in Texas?" he asked casually. "I imagine you will want to wait for the spring. Although, your Dad and I had a winter wedding, and it was quite nice...." 

 

He chewed carefully, eyes on Allard and Obara, who shared an unsure look. "Actually, Mr. Baratheon, we, uh... weren't really planning on getting married." 

 

"Oh," Stannis said, mouth full. He swallowed thickly and shook a little with the effort of holding back a coughing fit. "And why would that be?" he asked, voice wavering. 

 

"Obara doesn't want to, and I respect her wishes," Allard said with a shrug, reaching for another roll and buttering it without looking at Stannis. 

 

"I've never been one for marriage," Obara added, diplomatically self-deprecating. "Just a personal preference." 

 

Stannis bristled, but Davos gave him a dark _drop it_ look, as Obara continued. "Please, don't worry about the baby, or us. My parents never married, and my sisters and I all turned out fine." 

 

Stannis grunted in response, focused on cutting his slice of roast into increasingly infinitesimal pieces as Davos cleared his throat. "How many sisters do you have, Obara?" he asked, politely curious. 

 

"Seven." She grinned proudly. 

 

"And brothers?" 

 

"None." 

 

Davos barked a laugh. " _You_ have seven sisters, and Al has six brothers. It'll be interesting to see what the little one will be." 

 

Obara glanced at Shireen next to her. "I think it will have a chance. Al has a sister, too." 

 

"Step-sister," Al corrected gently. 

 

Obara looked sheepish. "Oh, I'm sorry." She laid a hand on Shireen's arm, but the younger girl only looked pleased to have attention from her. 

 

"It's okay," she assured. She looked up at Obara excitedly. "Will I get to meet your sisters?" 

 

"Oh of course! You guys would love Texas. I know it has a reputation, but I can personally vouch for my parents doing their part to make it a more... _accepting_ place, let's just say." 

 

"Mr. Martell and Ms. Sand are big time ex-hippies, and they're both in the State Senate," Allard explained. "They're heavily involved in pushing forward LGBT rights down there, as well as anti-racist and immigration and all sorts of other causes." 

 

"They're also both LGBT," Obara added. "When Al told me about you two, it was something we immediately bonded over, politically at least." 

 

"Well, we'd love to meet your parents and discuss their work," Davos said. He looked at Stannis, who had set his jaw but was listening politely. 

 

"We would," he confirmed curtly, and Davos let out a breath. The silence that followed was semi-comfortable, and Stannis tried to relax and eat in peace. 

 

"Well, I think you guys should _definitely_ come up to B.C.," Dacey chipped in, reaching her arm out for what must have been her third helping of mashed potatoes and gravy. 

 

"I'd love to," Davos agreed. "I've been to Canada, but the other coast. Nova Scotia." 

 

Dacey scoffed and pointed at him with her fork. "You need to see the _mountains_ , man! I mean, Nova Scotia's great and all, but they don't even have an NHL team." 

 

Davos laughed good-naturedly. "True enough. I must admit, I haven't been much of a hockey follower since the Whalers moved down south." 

 

Dacey practically wriggled in her seat with excitement. "Oh, I gotta hook you and Mr. Baratheon up, then. Me and my mom have Canucks season tickets." 

 

"What do you say, Stannis?” Davos ventured as he rearranged his mashed potatoes. “I've never taken you to a hockey game." 

 

"He'd love it, Dad," Dale said before Stannis could swallow and answer. "The huge, rowdy crowd. Lots of drunks. Crappy, delicious food." 

 

Stannis twisted his lips wryly. "Yes, well.… Sounds like a date, then." 

 

Dacey grinned. “I can't wait. You guys are adorable, by the way.” 

 

Stannis blushed, and saw Davos doing the same, and Obara lifted her glass. “Cheers to _that_.” 

 

“Hear, hear!” Dacey agreed heartily, clinking her beer bottle against Stannis’ glass with surprising genteel. 

 

Stannis smiled at her, thinking perhaps she wasn't so bad. At least Davos and the kids seemed to really like her. 

 

A few silent moments passed before Matthos looked up from his phone with an announcement. “UCONN won, guys. 80 to 70.” 

 

“Hell yeah!” Dacey leaned across the table to high-five him, nearly knocking over Stannis’ wine again. He cringed and cradled it closely, feeling a coughing fit coming on. 

 

So close. 

 

*** 

 

After dinner, all Stannis could do was excuse himself to his room, leaving the rest of them to their devices. From his place snuggled beneath his blankets, he could hear them downstairs, arguing over what sounded like a video game. With cars, and loud music. 

 

He turned the news up a little higher and coughed into a tissue, when the door opened and a sliver of light grew larger on his bed. Davos closed it behind him softly, and crept over to the bed to give Stannis a kiss on the forehead. 

 

“Thought you'd be asleep.” 

 

Stannis grunted. “Can't.” 

 

Davos slid off the bed and went to his dresser for a pair of sleep pants. “Have you considered _not_ worrying about everything?” he asked as he got dressed for bed. 

 

Stannis held the tissue away from his mouth to scoff. “They are having a _baby_. They’ve barely had an _apartment_ together,” he hissed. 

 

Davos shrugged. “I was pretty young when Dale was born.” He slipped under the covers, sliding close to Stannis’ thin, curled up form. “You and Selyse were more settled when you had Shireen, but everyone has a different path.” 

 

“Yes, well, you and Marya were like a pair of Irish rabbits.” He crossed his arms over his chest and tried to stubbornly focus on the TV. The news was running a story about a Christmas lights competition. 

 

Davos chuckled and slid his hands under Stannis’ arms, held tightly to his chest. “You know, I am sort of glad I can't get you pregnant.” 

 

Stannis’ lips quirked. “Your hands are cold,” he protested, but he let Davos anyway, snuggling in to kiss his neck. Soon they were chest to chest, skin to skin, Stannis melting into the sheets underneath Davos’ now much warmer touch. 

 

Davos cupped his neck in his hand and pressed kisses along his jaw. Stannis let his eyes flutter shut, his head tipped back, but then he saw a light glow dimly from behind his closed eyelids. He opened them and sat bolt upright, disrupting Davos and coming face to face with a pair of curious brown eyes and a long, slobbering tongue. 

 

“I thought you shut that door!” Stannis yelped, as Davos was leaping off of him to shoo Bear out of the room, firmly closing the door behind him. 

 

“You should've _locked_ it,” Stannis grumbled as Davos crawled back into bed with him. 

 

Davos moved until he was straddling Stannis, and took his face in both his hands. “Stannis,” he said seriously. “You know I love you. Dearly. But you are going to have to be less bloody Republican.” 

 

Stannis’ brow furrowed. “I'm not against it because of _that_.” He rubbed his hands over Davos’ forearms, feeling the hair and muscle and strength under his fingers. “I waited so long to marry you. We both served this country, for years, but it wouldn't let us do such a simple thing. We had to fight for it for so long.” 

 

Davos took his left hand in his and kissed his wedding band. “I know,” he said quietly. “And you fought bravely.” He pressed his lips to Stannis’ knuckles, eyes closed, and took a deep breath. “But you also fought for _everybody_. That includes them, and their right to _not_ do something.” 

 

“But why wouldn't they want this?” Stannis searched his eyes, felt the heat of his body that he knew he couldn't live without. 

 

“To be honest? I'll never know.” Davos leaned forward and kissed him and Stannis pulled him closer, determined to never let him go. 

 

*** 

 

Dawn broke on Christmas morning on a half-empty bed, and Stannis felt the spot next to him, gone completely cold. 

 

Groaning, he took a swig of water from the glass on his nightstand and swung his legs out from under the covers, his bed-warm feet meeting the ice-cold floor. He could hear laughter and voices coming from outside, so he stood on slightly wobbly legs and made his way to the window to pull apart the curtains. 

 

It was broad daylight, not dawn, and Stannis was suddenly wide awake. Christmas morning. He had _missed_ Christmas morning. 

 

Not that the sources of the commotion outside seemed to mind. What looked like Dacey, Dale, Maric and Matthos were playing basketball in the cul-de-sac, all bundled up, their breath fogging in the air. Nearby, Obara and Shireen were building a family of snowmen on the front lawn, chatting and giggling amiably. 

 

Stannis blinked and rubbed his eyes. He decided to show himself downstairs, to see just how much he had missed. He shivered and pulled on a sweater that was lying on the end of the bed. It felt a little odd, maybe a size too big, and it wasn't until he saw himself in the full-length mirror that he realized it was Davos’ old Navy sweater. When he shivered a second time, it had nothing to do with the cold. 

 

Downstairs, he found Davos and Allard watching the news on the couch, Stanny and Steffy curled up between them, and Bear sleeping at their feet. He glanced over to the living room and saw that the Christmas tree was still brightly lit, and every present was still intact beneath it. 

 

He paused with a foot on the landing, holding his breath. Bear was the first to notice him, lumbering over to lick at his hand and lean against him, panting excitedly. 

 

Davos turned around to see what the fuss was about, and Stannis offered him a weak, sheepish smile. “Good morning.” 

 

Davos stood, his eyes crinkling as he grinned, and the sight of him in pajama bottoms and an old red sweater was almost as good as when he was standing in a suit at the altar, not so long ago. He greeted Stannis with a quick, whiskery kiss on the cheek and held him at arm’s length. 

 

“Feeling any better?” 

 

Stannis nodded. “You let me sleep in? It's almost ten o’clock.” 

 

“It's okay,” Davos assured him. “The kids’ll just have to wait a little bit longer for presents. You needed your rest.” 

 

“Thank you.” Stannis sighed, and swayed a little, tired and cold. Davos took him in his arms and Stannis let him, snuggling close and burying his face in his neck. 

 

“There's some breakfast left,” Davos murmured into his ear. “I can make you tea?” 

 

“I can get it.” He pushed himself away from Davos’ warmth reluctantly. “Tell the kids I'm up.” 

 

Stannis shuffled to the kitchen with Bear at his heels, in too gracious of a mood to shoo him off. The dog sat at his side as he sat down with a plate of bacon and toast, watching him eagerly. 

 

Stannis sighed heavily. “What the hell. It's Christmas,” he muttered, tossing him a piece of bacon. 

 

The dog took it gratefully, but trotted off as soon as he heard the group of people coming in the front door. Stannis dumped his plate in the sink and went to greet them, getting a thump on the back from Dale and a high five from Dacey. Once all their outer layers were shucked off and they made their way to the living room, Stannis held up his hands for quiet. 

 

“Alright, everyone, it appears I have survived the night.” A few chuckles. “Now let's see if I can survive the rest of this holiday season.” He held his hand out towards the Christmas tree. “Any volunteers?” 

 

Shireen put herself in charge of identifying presents, handing them to Stannis for distribution, and the living room was slowly buried under layer upon layer of wrapping paper. 

 

At the bottom of the pile, after everyone had received their gifts and torn them open eagerly, lay a small box, wrapped in navy paper with a gold ribbon, and had “Mr. & Mr.” written on the tag. Stannis turned it over in his hands; it was light, and he handed it to Davos, who gave him a quizzical look. 

 

“Who's it from?” 

 

“All of us,” Dale piped up. “Go on, open it.” 

 

Davos looked at Stannis, who gave him a shooing motion. “You do it,” he insisted. 

 

“Well, thank you, everybody, for whatever it is,” he said as he took the ribbon off and slid his thumb underneath the wrapping paper. Underneath was a box, and inside that was a Christmas card, which Davos unfolded and read aloud. 

 

“’To the best dads in the world, for all the years you've put up with us.’ Oh, _kids_ ….” Davos pulled something else from the box, and Stannis peered in closer. 

 

“Plane tickets?” he breathed. 

 

“To Ireland,” Davos added, equally stunned. “ _Boys_.” 

 

Dale and Allard both looked sheepish. “Actually, it's more of a Christmas-slash-anniversary thing,” Allard clarified. “It's for a week, and you get to stay in this old bed and breakfast. It's not till April, so hopefully it won't be too cold, and you'll want to see all the green, I mean, it is Ireland after all…” 

 

Dale nudged him in the ribs and he trailed off with a blush, as Stannis watched Davos keenly. All he could do was stare at the tickets in one hand, the card in the other, then at his sons standing before him. 

 

“This was… not cheap, I expect,” he accused, waving the tickets at them. “You did not have to do all this.” 

 

He sounded on the verge of tears, and Dale came forward to take him in a hug. “Yes we did, Dad.” He held him at arm’s length and gave him a little shake. “We've been planning this for what, two years now?” He checked with Allard, who nodded. “So you're gonna go. _Both_ of you.” 

 

Davos nodded tightly, before letting out a breathless laugh. “This is… maybe the best thing anyone's ever given me. Except for your mother, giving me all you kids." He looked at Stannis, a little hesitant, but hopeful. 

 

“What do you say?” he asked him quietly. “Are you coming home with me?” 

 

Stannis grinned and took his hand. “Of _course_.” 

 

Davos laughed and pulled him in roughly for a tight hug. Stannis squeezed him back, grabbing fistfuls of his sweater, soaking up his warmth. 

 

Dale and Allard were next in line, but he eventually came back to Stannis, holding his arms and grinning excitedly. “You will love it there,” he promised. “I'll show you everything.” 

 

“I can't wait,” Stannis said. Looking into Davos’ eyes, he had forgotten the rest of the world existed, until he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat and saw something wiggle above their heads. 

 

Davos chuckled. “Looks like they got us.” 

 

The plastic mistletoe danced at the end of the fishing pole, and at the other end, Dacey was grinning mischievously. “My first victims.” 

 

Stannis flushed red and gave Davos a quick kiss on the cheek, as Dale tried to wrestle the fishing pole away from her, but she scampered away, laughing. 

 

“A real one!” she yelled, hiding behind the tree, before Dale tried to flush her out. “We want tongue!” 

 

A chorus of disgusted noises erupted from the younger kids, and they scattered, climbing over each other to get away. Dacey shrieked as Dale caught her and kissed her, the mistletoe hanging above them. Obara wolf-whistled and reached out to pull Allard down on the couch with her before he could get away, as he blushed red enough to match his hair. 

 

Davos turned back to a furiously blushing Stannis. “Are we going to let them steal the show?” he asked, and before Stannis could protest he was being pulled down for a kiss, deep and whiskery and warm. Davos tasted like toothpaste and hot chocolate, and Stannis’ eyes almost rolled back into his head, so he tugged him in closer, surprising a perfect little grunt out of him that made his stomach do a flip. 

 

Dimly he was aware of the catcalling, and when he finally let go of Davos, Dacey gave him a sound thump on the back, hard enough to remind him never to take up her offer to arm wrestle. 

 

She held up her rigged-together mistletoe pole, a glint in her eye. “I've got some kids to embarrass.” 

 

Dale rolled his eyes as he shrugged on his jacket. “I think they're playing with that football Matty got. Can't we just go do _that_ instead?” 

 

Dacey put her jacket on, barely a windbreaker, and flipped her wild blonde hair out from under it. “We can do both, silly. You two coming?” 

 

She gestured to Allard and Obara, who shared an amused look. “I suppose,” Allard said. “Since we missed the basketball game.” 

 

Dacey looked up from tying her shoe on the arm of the couch. “Shame I didn’t bring my rollerblades, we could play street hockey.” 

 

Obara rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she stood up. “Do you ever slow down?” 

 

Dacey waved the mistletoe at her threateningly before heading for the door with swift, long strides “Last one out in the snow is a homophobe!” she called. 

 

Obara sighed and trotted after her, Allard at her heels. Dale hung back, and gave Davos a sober look. 

 

“Hey, uh, Dad?” 

 

Davos raised an eyebrow. “Are you taking this time now to tell me you are indeed a homophobe?” he asked, smirking. 

 

Dale’s lip quirked, and he ran a hand through his dark hair. “No, uh, actually… it's about Mom.” He pointed at the tickets that Davos still had in his hand. “Are you taking her?” he asked softly. 

 

“Without you?” Davos looked confused. “I thought you'd want to be there, when… when we let her go.” 

 

Dale shrugged. “We don’t have to, I mean… I asked Allard about it, and he said it was more between her and you.” 

 

“Do you agree? What about the other boys?” 

 

“They agree. We all think she should be scattered over there.” Dale shrugged. “Maybe some over here, I don't know, but she really wanted to be back in Ireland, Dad. If we wait, it be a long time before we can all get to go as a family. I think… I think she's restless.” 

 

Davos smiled sadly. “She always was.” Stannis touched his arm as he breathed in deeply. “She wanted to go everywhere.” He looked at Dale fondly. “Do you remember that cliff, down the road, back home?” 

 

“Yeah, I do. You had a boat at the bottom of it. You used to take me and Al fishing all the time.” 

 

“Your mother used to take you out on walks out there. You were just a baby, but she was… restless. I used to worry sick, but she had to be alone.” Davos shrugged. “She probably worried just as much when I would go out in that boat with you two. You were just kids.” 

 

“I loved it there,” Dale said wistfully. “I'm so glad you'll get to go back. That cliff… are you going to take her there?” 

 

Davos nodded, and Stannis squeezed his arm gently. Blinking back tears, Davos held up the tickets. “I'll go put these somewhere safe,” he muttered, and excused himself from between them. 

 

Stannis and Dale watched him go together. Dale sighed and took his gloves from his jacket pocket. “I shouldn't have brought it up,” he mumbled. 

 

“I'll give him some time, then I'll check on him,” Stannis assured. He had never known Dale as a boy, but the way he stood there, hat and gloves and concerned blue eyes, Stannis was reminded of how young he still was. He clasped his shoulder. “It's a wonderful thing, you've given him.” 

 

“Thank you.” He paused, looking like he was chewing something over. “I've never thanked you enough…. Coming into his life, into all our lives. It was exactly what he needed, after everything.” 

 

Stannis smiled, and reached up to give his shoulder a squeeze. “I needed him too. More than he'll believe, that's for sure.” He sniffed and sent Dale on his way with a pat on the back. “Now go. You're missing a big game.” 

 

Stannis took his time after Dale left, making tea for both of them. Davos was sitting on the end of the bed when he eventually went upstairs. He had in his hands a blue stone, worn smooth, just the size of his palm. 

 

“Marya gave me this. She found it on the beach, thought I would like it. It reminds me of her, I don't know why, maybe her eyes. There are others, but this is my favorite.” 

 

Stannis sat down beside him. Davos held out the stone to him without looking, and Stannis took it like it was made of glass. “She would be so proud of the boys,” he said, clutching the stone firmly. 

 

“Aye, she would.” He nudged his shoulder to Stannis’ companionably. “She would like you,” he said with confidence. “She might hit you with a spoon every now and then, but…. She would see.” 

 

Stannis nudged him back. “Did you know I love you a little extra for her?” 

 

Davos made a sound, like a tiny, choked off sob, and took Stannis’ hand. He nodded tersely. “I sort of figured,” he said, smiling with tears in his eyes. Stannis took his face in his hands and kissed him on the forehead. 

 

“I have enough love for all of them,” he murmured, lips brushing his skin. 

 

Davos leaned back to look at him. “I knew you would.” He pulled Stannis in for a soft kiss, warm and easy. When he pulled back he gave Stannis a wry half-grin. “You're softening up in your old age, you know.” 

 

Stannis smirked and tilted his head in mock self-satisfaction. “I'm becoming almost tolerable to live with,” he said proudly. 

 

“And sassier by the day.” Davos nudged him with his elbow before leaning forward to take his tea off the dresser. “You know,” he said thoughtfully, “It's finally quiet in the house. What say we go downstairs and snuggle up on the couch and watch an old movie?” 

 

“And lock all the doors?” Stannis teased, and Davos turned a withering glare on him. 

 

“I take back everything I said,” he sniffed, with an air of over-the-top haughtiness. He looked at Stannis and broke into a grin. “We _could_ go outside and get some fresh air with the kids. I noticed you haven't been coughing today. _You_ don’t have an excuse.” 

 

Stannis’ shoulders sunk. “I always hated football.” 

 

“Shh, don’t let your daughters-in-law hear that.” Davos set his tea back down and slapped his knees. “Come on, up, up, up. Christmas is about _family_ , remember. Even the annoying ones.” 

 

Stannis stood and bristled, his back military straight. “I never said she was annoying…” 

 

“Ah, but I never said _she_ ,” Davos countered, pointing a finger at him. 

 

Stannis slumped a little and followed him down the stairs. “You owe me a snuggle,” he muttered as they put their boots and jackets and gloves on. 

 

“Tonight,” Davos said, winking at him. 

 

Stannis flushed, suddenly much more eager to get out into the cold. 

 

*** 

 

The back yard was a slushy, muddy mess by the time the game drew to a close in the afternoon. Stannis and Davos had picked their teams – with Stannis insisting on having Dacey on his team, unwilling to face being tackled by her – and they had turned out to be quite evenly matched. The game had turned quite serious, and the younger kids had been relegated to the sidelines as cheerleaders, at least until they got bored and started their own snowball fight. 

 

The game ended when Davos caught a pass from Obara and was ganged up on perhaps too roughly by Dale and Dacey, leaving him lying in the snow with Stannis by his side, breath knocked out of him. 

 

“Are you okay?” Stannis gasped, his breath puffing in the air in front of him. 

 

He said a silent prayer when Davos nodded and huffed a laugh. “Just too old for this shite,” he grumbled as he struggled to a sitting position. He grinned up at Dale and Dacey, who were looking down at him with concern. 

 

Dacey offered him a hand to help him all the way up. “Okay, but if we quit now, Team Stannis wins. We're ahead by a touchdown, remember?” 

 

Davos brushed snow off himself and looked apologetically at Allard, Obara, and Maric. Allard clapped him on the shoulder. 

 

“C’mon, old man, you'll be fine! Just take a salt tablet!” 

 

Davos shook his head, clutching at his back. He managed a pained smile. “There aren't enough salt tablets in the _world_ , laddie.” 

 

Stannis raised his hand. “I'll take myself out, too,” he offered. “You kids keep playing. Three on three should work, right?” 

 

Dacey shrugged and flipped the football from hand to hand. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I'm getting hungry. Maybe we should break for lunch?” 

 

“I'll make cocoa,” Davos agreed, and Stannis smirked at the barely concealed eagerness in his voice. His husband looked utterly worn out; even his smile was tired when he exchanged a look with Stannis. 

 

Dale went to the front yard to round up the younger kids, and soon the whole party had made it back inside, where it was warm and bustling with chatter as presents were still new and exciting. Dacey had set up a peanut butter and jelly sandwich making station in the kitchen and was cranking them out at a rapid pace until everyone had eaten at least one or two. Stannis frowned when he saw Bear pass by smacking his tongue suspiciously, but he was prevented from telling his future daughter-in-law off by Davos’ hand on his arm. 

 

“Selyse is picking Shireen up at three, you said?” 

 

Stannis closed his eyes. He hadn't forgotten, he had just been dreading it; dealing with Selyse was rarely pleasant for him anymore. “Yes, she is. I'll tell Shireen to get her things together.” 

 

Shireen was sitting with Devan and Matthos in the living room away from the noise of the den. They were each enjoying some of the presents they had received that morning: Devan was reading the latest installment of his favorite fantasy series, Matthos was starting a two-thousand piece puzzle of a European castle, and Shireen was working on a page from the adult coloring book she got with an all new set of gel pens. 

 

Stannis quickly thanked whatever higher power had decided to give him at least a few children who enjoyed quieter pursuits, then sat down next to Shireen on the sofa. “Sweetheart?” 

 

“What?” she replied, not looking up from her coloring. 

 

Stannis clasped his hands together uneasily. “Your mother will be here in about an hour. Are you all packed?” 

 

She sighed and set her pen down. “No,” she admitted, sullen. "I forgot to finish." 

 

Stannis pulled her close to kiss her temple. “Go do that now. You can work on your picture at her house, okay?” 

 

Shireen nodded, then looked at Stannis, expression conflicted. “Do I really _have_ to go? Janos is gonna be there. He wears _way_ too much body spray, and he always talks about his stupid car.” 

 

Stannis frowned. “Yes, well, your mother seems to really like this one.” For Shireen’s sake, he didn't add that Selyse definitely seemed to really like his _money_ , too, and his political connections none of which really made up for the fact that he did indeed talk about his brand new BMW too much. It was a vulgar car, in Stannis’ opinion. “It's only until school starts again,” he continued, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. “I know you miss her.” 

 

Shireen nodded again, somewhat defeated, but she stood up and gathered her things. She started off, then brightened suddenly. “I wonder if Obara will help me pick out clothes,” she mused, excited. 

 

Stannis exchanged a grateful look with the older girl when he saw Shireen leading her by the hand upstairs to her room, and Obara gave him an amused smile in return. He left Matthos and Devan to their own quiet devices and rejoined the rest of his family in the den, where Maric and Allard were racing cars on the Xbox and Dale and Dacey were snuggled up on the couch, occasionally offering words of encouragement – or ridicule. 

 

Davos was on the loveseat with a mug of cocoa, holding between both of his hands like it was the most precious thing in the world. He had changed into a new, dry sweater, iron grey, and had bare feet poking out of his blanket. He never wore socks or slippers in the house, and on more than one occasion had been nearly thrown out of bed for touching Stannis with those ice cold toes. 

 

Stannis shivered and tried to slip under the blanket with him. “Get your own,” he groused, gruff but good-natured, letting him in anyway. He had to set his cocoa safely on the end table, before taking Stannis’ face in his warm hands and kissing him softly. 

 

“That's so gross, guys,” Maric complained, without looking away from the TV. 

 

Stannis ignored him, but still blushed slightly. He had never wanted to kiss anyone in front of anybody until he had fallen for Davos. He tried to remember what he had come over to tell him, not an easy task when Davos was pulling him in for another cocoa-flavored kiss and sliding a hand around to the back of his neck, scratching lightly with his nails. Stannis fought off a shiver and had to push him away, giving him a desperate _not here_ look. 

 

Davos smirked but let him go and sank back into the cushions with his mug in hand again, stirring with his spoon. Stannis gulped, his face flushed, and pressed on bravely. 

 

“Shireen’s getting ready,” he managed, looking away as Davos brought the spoon up to his mouth and took it out slowly without breaking eye contact. 

 

“Is that so?” He raised an eyebrow. “When will she be here?” 

 

“’Bout an hour,” Stannis mumbled. It was suddenly far too warm under their blanket. 

 

Davos hummed acknowledgement, then glanced over to where Dacey and Dale had fallen asleep leaning on each other. “A nap does sound good right about now,” he mused. 

 

Stannis grunted, blushing quite furiously by now. He saw Maric and Allard exchange an exasperated look, then saw Davos tilt his head towards the stairs. 

 

As quiet as possible, they crept up the stairs and past Shireen’s room, where she and Obara were debating the merits of a particular pink shirt, and down the hallway to their room, where Davos closed the door softly. 

 

Stannis went a deeper red as Davos crowed him against the wall, but he held up a finger in pause. “Wait. Can I ask you something first?” 

 

Davos was now close enough for Stannis to feel his warm breath. “Hmm?” 

 

Stannis bit his lip and looked away, embarrassed. “Do you have your, um.... Glasses?” 

 

It was Davos’ turn to go pink. “You like those?” 

 

Stannis nodded, his stomach full of butterflies. “Yes, I, uh, very much appreciate those on you.” He cleared his throat, mortified at his own awkwardness. 

 

Davos didn't seem to mind, as he went to the nightstand to put on his black reading glasses. “This better?” he said, returning to Stannis with a wolfish grin that combined with the glasses perched on his nose, made Stannis go a little weak in the knees. 

 

“Yes,” he breathed, welcoming Davos into his space with a sigh as he kissed him. Davos’ hands went to his hair, mussing it thoroughly, fingertips raking over his scalp. 

 

“Want to go to the bed?” Davos’ voice was a low rasp that made the hair on his neck stand up. 

 

“Alright,” he said quietly, letting Davos take his hand and guide him to the edge of the mattress, where he gave his chest a gentle push. Stannis leaned back against the pillows, watching as Davos straddled him, hands creeping up below his sweater to touch bare skin. 

 

Soon the sweater was off and Davos could touch all he liked, while Stannis wound his fingers through his hair and kissed him, more heated now. Stannis was slowly sinking, just about to ask Davos to take off his sweater as well when there was a most unwelcome heralding from downstairs. 

 

“Shireen’s mom is here!” Devan’s announcement was accompanied by the clomping of boots on the stairs, and Stannis let his head fall back against the headboard, sighing deeply. 

 

“Give me a minute!” he yelled back. 

 

“She's early,” Davos observed, a glimmer of mirth in his eyes. 

 

Stannis scowled and gave him a light push. “Where's my shirt?” he muttered as Davos crawled off of him. He found it hanging on the edge of Davos’ side of the bed and pulled it on hastily, only to feel the tag tickling at his throat. He watched Davos suppress fond laughter as he pulled his arms back inside the sweater before turning it around, crackling with static electricity during the entire process. 

 

“Your hair,” Davos said with a small smirk, and Stannis quickly smoothed it down as he headed for the door, Davos trailing behind more leisurely. 

 

He passed Shireen’s room just as she was hastily cramming a few more things into her already full backpack. Obara was holding her bulging suitcase, and politely refused Davos’ offer to help her with it, even though it looked like it weighed as much as she did. 

 

The four of them went to the front door to greet Selyse, who was standing awkwardly in the entranceway, trapped there by Bear. He was sitting at her feet, wagging his stub tail innocently and drooling onto the hardwood floor. 

 

“Go on, dog, shoo!” Davos ordered, herding the dog back into the den. Stannis mustered up an apologetic smile for Selyse and tugged at the collar of his sweater, praying that Davos hadn't left any marks on him. 

 

“Hello, Stannis,” she said curtly, tightening her hold on her purse strap across her chest, even as Shireen rushed forward to hug her. She was wearing an expensive looking camel pea coat and pointy-toed olive green shoes, and she was standing stiffly, chin held high and feet together. Stannis automatically matched her near-military bearing, drawing himself up to his full straight-backed height as if he was squaring off with a drill sergeant. 

 

“Selyse,” he responded, equally polite but unfamiliar. Between them, Davos and Obara shared a part wary, part amused look, while Bear poked his head past Davos’ hip to get a look inside the circle. 

 

“I know I said three o'clock, but traffic was better than I had expected.” She sniffed and looked down at Shireen. “Are you ready, dear?” 

 

Shireen nodded and let her go, then turned to hug Stannis and Davos and finally Obara, who handed the suitcase over to Selyse with a polite smile. Selyse took it with a surprised grunt and gave her a quick, tight-lipped smile in return. 

 

“You are the one Shireen’s told me about. Obara, is it?” 

 

“Yes, that's me.” She held out her hand for Selyse to shake. “Al and I are together.” 

 

Selyse regarded her with interest and set the suitcase on the floor. “Shireen tells me you have _seven_ sisters?” 

 

Obara nodded, blushing slightly. “I'm starting to think I may have _eight_.” She reached over to ruffle the hair of a beaming Shireen, as Selyse watched, her expression warming. 

 

“Yes, she said you had grown quite close the times you've been over.” This time when she smiled, it was genuine, and her hand on Shireen’s shoulder gave a little squeeze. “I'm so glad to have finally met you.” 

 

“Likewise,” Obara replied warmly. She looked more than a little relieved, her shoulders relaxed, and for a moment there was a warm glow in the foyer and Stannis could breathe easy. 

 

Then something descended from above, a little green plastic decoration dangling from the end of a fishing line, wriggling like a worm in between Stannis and Selyse’s heads, accompanied by the sound of muffled laughter. 

 

Stannis looked up at the upstairs balcony and saw two figures crouched behind the railings, one short and bespectacled, the other tall with wild blonde hair. 

 

Selyse had followed his gaze upwards. “What on earth…?” 

 

“You know the rules!” Dacey shouted down, as Maric buried more snickers into the sleeve of his sweater. 

 

Down below, Davos and Obara were struggling to contain grins, as Stannis went bright red and Selyse looked as awkward as ever. Bear, meanwhile, was whining and wriggling and barking up at them in excited confusion. 

 

Deciding he would be the first to stand up when the reverend said “Speak now or forever hold your peace,” at Dale’s wedding, Stannis took Selyse by the elbow and practically pushed her out the door, taking the suitcase from her and marching towards her SUV. 

 

“I am terribly sorry about all that.” He hefted the suitcase into the backseat and let out a deep breath. “I swear, that one, she's more animal than human. I mean, who even _adopts_ a dog like that, let alone brings it along to a respectable family gathering. I don’t know if she knows, but this is _Connecticut_ , not... not…” 

 

“Stannis.” Selyse appeared at his side, slipping a gloved hand into the crook of his elbow. “It's _okay_. It's just mistletoe. It happens.” 

 

Stannis closed the car door and leaned against it. His breath was a small angry cloud in the air. Selyse was watching him with a mixture of concern and amusement, completely still, until she lifted one hand to his face. 

 

“Here,” she said, before she kissed him on the cheek. “Was that so bad?” 

 

Stannis ducked his head. “Are you sure you don't want to have dinner here? It's a little wild, but they keep you young.” 

 

Selyse smiled but shook her head. “No, I can't. Janos is taking me to his parents'. Our first Christmas dinner with them.” She drew a line in the snow with her heel. “Shireen likes them, you know. Mr. Slynt has a big library. And they have _horses_ ,” she added, leaning in conspiratorially. 

 

“She better not ask me for a pony,” Stannis drawled, pushing himself away from the car. Just then, the front door reopened and Shireen and Davos came out, looking unsure of what they were walking into. 

 

“Ready?” Selyse asked brightly, and Shireen nodded, hopping into the passenger seat and rolling down the window so she could hang most of her upper body out of it. 

 

“Bye, Davos! Bye Dad!” 

 

Selyse let her hand brush Davos’ arm as she walked around to the driver's side. “Always nice seeing you, Davos.” 

 

“You too, Selyse. Take care.” 

 

Stannis let out a breath as the SUV backed into the cul-de-sac, and he watched as Shireen was driven away, waving at her smaller and smaller figure until the car turned onto another street. 

 

“That could've gone much worse,” he muttered to Davos beside him. 

 

Davos huffed a laugh, then turned back towards the house. “Aye, she could've said something about that huge hickey on your neck. But she didn't, bless her.” 

 

Stannis thought he might melt a path in the snow from the heat of the embarrassment he felt. “You should've _warned_ me,” he hissed, rubbing at his neck. 

 

Davos grinned wickedly as they reached the door, turning to face him. “You've had it since last night.” 

 

Stannis gaped at him. “I haven't noticed anything in the mirror,” he protested, feeling at his throat even more frantically. 

 

Davos shook his head. “That's ‘cause it's on the _back_ ,” he whispered, leaning in so Stannis could feel his breath on his ear. With a final smirk, he opened the door, leaving Stannis as warm as he'd ever been standing outside in a New England winter. 

 

*** 

 

When Stannis finally caught up with Davos inside, he was in the kitchen. He sidled up behind him as he was refilling his water glass in the refrigerator door. “Weren't we in the middle of something?” he murmured, wrapping his arms around his middle. 

 

“Yeah. Starting the turkey.” He turned around in Stannis’ arms and gave him an apologetic look. 

 

Stannis leaned against him, sighing. He kissed his forehead quickly. “I'll help you. I'm no longer a contaminant, remember?” 

 

“And I'm very glad for that,” Davos replied. His hands were warm when they came up to cup Stannis’ jaw, fingers slipping into the hair just behind his ears. “So I can do this whenever I please,” he added before he pulled him down for a kiss. 

 

“You do anyway,” Stannis pointed out in a murmur against his lips. “Hey, why don't you go rest. I'll get everything started.” He ran his hands up and down Davos’ arms, massaging lightly. “Get yourself some cocoa and watch the kids race each other. I've got this.” 

 

Davos nodded a little reluctantly. “You sure? I can help, if you need it….” 

 

In the end, Stannis had to practically frog march him out of the kitchen before his stubborn Irish guilt kicked in and he ended up doing everything himself. Stannis returned to the kitchen and rolled his sleeves up to get to work, turning the radio on low and humming along to classic rock as he started on the turkey. Once it was de-gibleted, stuffed and basted, Stannis went to see what kind of casserole ingredients they had on hand. 

 

He had the cabinet opening and was perusing it's contents when he heard someone walk in behind him, clearing their throat quietly. He turned to see Dacey, her arms behind her back and her feet scuffing the floor awkwardly. 

 

“Hey, Mr. Baratheon,” she said, low and meek. “I, uh, came to apologize. About earlier. I know I put you on the spot and I'm sorry. It was probably pretty awkward for you,” she finished with a mumble. 

 

Stannis turned and leaned against the counter, hands braced against it. “I accept your apology,” he said quietly. “It really is alright. Everything turned out fine, no hard feelings. Selyse was in a much better mood than usual. Maybe the Christmas spirit got to her too,” he mused. 

 

Dacey half-grinned. “It must be getting to _you_ , or you would have kicked me out of the house by now.” 

 

Stannis wrung a dish towel between his hands. “I'm sorry I gave you that impression.” 

 

Dacey shrugged. “It's okay. I know I can be like that. I come from a… _boisterous_ family. We're not all sophisticated and worldly like Obara’s folks are.” 

 

“What are you saying about my folks?” Obara said breezily as she floated into the room, going to the fridge and pulling out a beer. Dacey blushed but held up a finger, and Obara got one for her as well. 

 

“I was just explaining to Mr. Baratheon how I was raised by wolves in the Great White North, while you were being fed grapes and had servants fanning you with big palm tree branches.” 

 

Obara scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Yeah right.” She cracked open her beer and leaned against the counter. “More like two working parents trying to raise eight kids _and_ make it in politics while being brown _and_ queer in the Bible Belt.” 

 

Dacey suddenly went back to the fridge, and Stannis raised his eyebrows when she got yet another can of beer out, but then she handed it out to him, jiggling it enticingly. “Go on, you earned it. We're gonna toast,” she explained to a puzzled looking Obara. “To kickass parents.” She lifted her beer and Obara stepped forward to meet her, while Stannis met the two of them in the middle. 

 

“To family,” Stannis added, thinking a little sadly of Shireen. 

 

They clunked their cans together and took a sip all at once, both out drinking Stannis. He set his can down with a grimace and Dacey laughed. She set hers down too and then pushed back her shirt sleeves. 

 

“Okay. What are we making?” 

 

*** 

 

Stannis sat down heavily at his end of the table, his feet tired and his sweater long discarded in favor of an old t-shirt that better suited the heat of the kitchen. Davos took his place at the opposite end and gave him a thankful smile, which helped just as much as the big glass of wine that Dacey poured out for him. He took a sip and watched as everyone else took their seats, leaving a noticeably empty space between Devan and Obara. 

 

“To Shireen,” he toasted once they all got settled, and he was met with ten upraised glasses of wine, juice, and water. “I wish she could be here with us.” He paused, looking at the only two women left in their group. “But, I'd also like to thank Dacey and Obara for being here with us, and helping me make all this food. I really couldn't have done it without them.” 

 

Dacey, for her part, looked sheepish. “Even though I burned the cranberry sauce?” 

 

Obara waved her off. “You did fine once you were relegated to dishes duty,” she teased good-naturedly. 

 

Stannis cleared his throat to continue. “In conclusion, this Christmas has been… well, an embarrassment of riches, really. We are _all_ family. And that's what it's all about.” 

 

“To family,” Davos concurred, and they all toasted one last time before digging in eagerly. Stannis paused with his fork in hand and looked at each and every person he counted as family, and he wondered why he had ever been worried. 

 

*** 

 

That night, when the house was quiet, Stannis crept down the stairs, past the air mattresses scattered around the den, past Bear snoring softly in the hallway, and out the back door of the house, hugging himself tightly in the cold. His breath fogged as he lifted his head to look at the stars, and he filled his lungs with crisp, cold air. He wasn't startled when he heard the door open behind him and saw Davos follow him out into the snow. 

 

“Everything turned out perfect,” he said softly, as if too loud a voice would break the spell. “Just like you told me it would.” 

 

Davos stood next to him and looked up at the same stars. “I'm proud of you.” 

 

Stannis let out a long breath. “I couldn't… I _can't_ do it without you.” 

 

Davos ignored the charge like he always did, and continued focusing on the stars above them. “Are you worried about Shireen?” 

 

“No,” he said quietly. “Not anymore.” He looked back up, at all the constellations she had taught him, that the three of them had looked at together one clear night when a law was passed that allowed them to be a family in every way that counted. 

 

Davos slipped his hand into Stannis’, both cold. “I'm glad.” 

 

Stannis looked at him, kissed him once, for everything. And once more, for good measure. And he didn't worry about why he had been given everything. 

 

Sometimes that's what happened on Christmas.


End file.
